pseudo-Nanocomposite Tecton Hydrogels: Towards Ideal Viscoelasticity

Class: Organic and Biomaterials Chemistry (3.034)

Term: Fall 2018

This project proposed pseudo-Nanocomposite Tecton (pNCT) materials, in which ideal viscoelasticity can be achieved in a polymeric system by tuning specific design handles. We designed a synthetic protocol for pNCTs, which are soluble in water, showing that a hydrogel with an ordered lattice mesostructure can be formed. We proposed characterization methods to quantify the mechanical behavior of the pNCT hydrogel and modeled it as an ideal Maxwell element.